Libertas questions commission’s impartiality over FF link in law firm

OPPONENTS of the Lisbon treaty sparked a war of words yesterday after claiming the independence of the Referendum Commission had been thrown into doubt because of alleged links to the yes campaign.

With only days to go before polling day, Libertas claimed the impartiality of the Referendum Commission was in doubt because of a link between its legal advisers and Fianna Fáil.

The Referendum Commission’s legal opinion is provided by A&L Goodbody Solicitors. Libertas said the solicitors’ press function was staffed by Olivia Buckley, of Murray Consultants — Fianna Fáil’s chief press officer until shortly after the last general election.

Libertas said the firm was also retained by the employers’ group IBEC, which advocates a yes vote.

Goodbody Solicitors refused to comment on its clients yesterday.

However, the Referendum Commission disputed the claims made by the no campaigners.

“The commission rejects any implication or suggestion that it is not independent,” a commission spokesman said.

The commission said it had no intention of changing its legal advisers.

However, Libertas had a “right to comment” said the commission spokesman.

However, the no campaigners said that at best, the judgment of the commission had to be called into question, since it was being advised by people who it said very clearly had a vested interest in achieving a yes vote in the referendum.

Libertas executive director Naoise Nunn argued: “At best, this is incredibly naive of the commission. At worst, it raises very serious questions about their independence.

“Their legal advisers very clearly have a vested interest in terms of keeping their other clients happy, and this creates a major conflict of interest,” said Ms Nunn.

“It is also very questionable that the communications strategy of the commission has presumably been suggested to them by somebody with very close links to the Government and the yes campaign.”

Ms Nunn said the questions needed answering.

However, government partner and leader of the Greens, John Gormley, said the allegations against the Referendum Commission smacked of “desperation”.

He said Libertas’ decision to try and discredit the official body charged with distributing referendum material was to do with timing, as voters in the coming days would be turning their attention to the commission’s information booklets.